Places to Visit »Green Animals Topiary Gardens

Green Animals Topiary GardensWe've been to several mansion tours and one thing we always come across are the angry old ladies who work there who can't wait to yell at kids like us and stare everyone down with a suspicious hairy eyeball. Green Animals has an entirely different vibe, it's as friendly and cuddly as these adorable hug hungry teddy bears. The Gardens can be included in many Newport mansion tour packages and, even though it is a short drive away, I highly recommend you fit it in if you're in the area.

The estate was purchased by Thomas Brayton who paid Joseph Carreiro to sculpt the imaginative and impressive beginnings of the topiaries. His daughter Alice Brayton carried on the tradition in 1940, giving the estate its name and willing it to The Preservation Society when she died. The park is open until mid-November, so there's still time to visit before the season ends.

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Posted on September 24, 2007

Places to Visit »Knoebels

Knoebles theme parkThis theme park in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania is family friendly (read: they won't sell you a photo of yourself on a roller coaster if the girl in front of you is making devil horns aka “a rude gesture”, but anywhere and everywhere complete families from twelve years old to eighty will be smoking). It has won “Best Park Food” 7 years in a row. The patrons certainly seem to enjoy it to excess. There are lots of Rascals… I can't say my French dip sandwich was amazing or noteworthy, but the ice cream was tasty and Mike claims he's had some good stuff before.

The park has three big roller coasters, a freaky swing called Fandango that looked terrifying, and plenty of less intense rides including a pretty excellent haunted house. The biggest draw of the park however, is that you travel back in time. As Mike said when we entered the gates, “Welcome to 1988”. The prices and people are certainly from the past, and I love them for it. There is no entrance fee and you only pay per ride with the most expensive roller coaster costing a mere three dollars! They also have an impressive carousel collection, two unique organs, and a strange museum that's half focused on coal and half focused on the park's history. Like any theme park, on a hot crowded day like the day we went, it can be an overwhelming experience, but the vintage stuff, crazy performances, and incredible prices make Knoebles worth a visit even in the worst conditions (well, maybe not during the floods that have wreacked havoc on the park twice already). Best theme park food? Perhaps. But even if you don't go for the cuisine, you will have a blast.

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Posted on September 17, 2007

Places to Visit »New England Holocaust Memorial

new england holocaust memorialIt's always important to remember and observe the past and this sobering monument undertakes that task. The glass towers that stand at Carmen Park were designed by Stanley Saitowitz. The towers have the names of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust etched in the glass, a staggering visualization of humanity's greatest atrocity. The website features a beautiful photo essay by photographer Nancy Royal.

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Posted on September 10, 2007

Places to Visit »Dingman’s Ferry, PA

dingman's ferry pennsylvaniaFor less than the price of a cheap motel, Jim and I rented this adorable cabin in the woods of the Delaware Water Gap. It was much less rustic and much more well appointed than we expected, with TV reception, heating, a shower, and most importantly a surprisingly comfy queen size bed in the cozy sleeper loft. The views are incredible of the tall,impressive and wild forest that is your back yard. We went exploring in this amazing wilderness by taking the quick trail along the river to Child's Park, a series of bridges leading to three water falls. Water falls are inherently romantic, and we came upon more than one big-backed couple making out, but the presence of many gollum-like boys hanging from the rocks took a little of the mystique out of the scenery for me. Still, this is a beautiful site to behold.

Downstream we trekked much rougher trails heading towards Dingmans Falls, but due to slick conditions and footwear (note to self, Converse low tops are not hiking boots) we only took the trails on each side of the river until we felt that we could go no further without serious injury or worse. We had planned on seeing the falls by car and also visiting nearby Bushkill Falls (the Niagara of Pennsylvania), but a sudden intense cold kept me on the relaxing porch and we will have to see them another time. Food and drink are not the regions strong point, so a kitchen that allowed us to have our breakfasts and lunches at the cabin was a god send. We went into historic Milford for a couple dinners and had meals not worth mentioning, but the biggest surprise and disappointment was discovering that PA has a crazy law where you can only buy beer by the case of 24 or more. Even worse: the only place that sold these cases had a terrible selection… Even worse: it was skunky and tasted so bad we didn't drink any of it. Oh well, lesson learned. We got some champagne the next day instead and were all the better for it.

There are a couple fun food spots a short drive away, Coopers in Scranton (about an hour west) is a huge and insane seafood monument to kitsch complete with a mini train, an octopus and innumerable themed rooms with every nook and cranny filled with decorations like this. It's honestly the only thing to do in town, so do expect to wait, but the wait is made easy with it's five or so bars scattered throughout the huge labyrinthine space. Also fun is Chatterbox, a burger spot you'll hit on your way back to the city on route 15 in New Jersey. Most days they serve you right at your car, but we had to eat inside where a vintage roadster is on display. The burgers are pretty tasty and a welcome meal after not so great food in Pennsylvania, but enough of my complaining. This part of the country is so stupendously beautiful, it was so soothing and moving to be surrounded by nature. We saw bunnies, deer, toads and crazy mushrooms. We watched the forest turn pitch black as the sun set and heard trees slowly falling after a rain storm. This little cabin was perfection and the couple that rent it out are very sweet.

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Posted on September 3, 2007

Places to Visit »Wildwood State Park

wildwood long islandMiles away from the boardwalks of New Jersey's Wildwood (both literally and figuratively), this north shore state park features a daydreamy hardwood forest to hike through and amazing “perfect for killing your wife” (we watch a lot of Court TV) cliff views. The maps are limited, but colored signs are easy to follow once you get on one of the four trails, which range from 1 to 4 miles; we recommend the 4 mile, the only one that takes you to the bluffs.

The park is also very popular for camping and picnicking and was quite full of outdoorsy revelers when we were there. The trails are less crowded, you won't see anyone forever, then the next thing you know a fawn catches you kissing and some dudes with their children catch you cursing. Located off exit 68 on the LIE, this is mere yards away from Lewin Farms, this week's what to do with a few hours, so make a day of it.

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Posted on August 27, 2007

Places to Visit »Plimoth Plantations

plimoth plantations MAI have to say, my recent trip to Plimoth Plantations really surprised me and exceeded my expectations. With wicked glee I was looking forward to an afternoon of over-costumed over acting, but I found a really authentic and dare I say, dignified attraction where the villages of both the 1627 English Pilgrims and their uneasy neighbors the Wampanoag are painstakingly reconstructed and, rather than looking like a cleaned up, Epcot version, felt very realistic–with real dirt and all.

The actors too were impressive. The Wampanoag spoke in modern language and explained the customs of their people and even though the villagers spoke in olde English, no one bothers you, they leave it up to you to ask the questions, and more often than not you can expect to receive interesting and informative answers.

The old school wood worker whose goods are on display in the homes and for sale in the store was particularly engaging. The landscape and views of the towns are really spectacular and worth the price of admission alone.

Not the cheesy fun you might be expecting, but something even better. On your way out, take Route 3A till you hit the town of Hingham, you'll see the Hingham Lobster Pound where we dined on the best lobster roll and onion rings of the whole trip. A perfect ending to a grand day out.

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Posted on August 20, 2007

Places to Visit »Middletown

middletown rhode island purgatory chasmJust a bit outside Newport, RI, you'll find three things that make Middletown an ideal vacation spot and a great, memorable day for us on our recent New England tour.

The first is a place we went to based solely on its eye catching name: “Purgatory Chasm“. This small, dense park has enchanting woods that open up to unreal rock formed ocean views and the amazing natural formation of the chasm was a highlight of our trip.

Nearby, we enjoyed the soft sands of Second Beach, one of the nicest beaches we've been to and one I would return to again.

The day ended with fresh lobster rolls, chowder, and a stuffed quahog at Flo's, Jim's favorite and my second favorite lobster roll we had on the trip (out of about six). A beautiful area to spend a day or more.

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Posted on August 13, 2007

Places to Visit »Marconi Station and Beach, Cape Cod and Bob’s Sub & Cone

marconi cape codYou wont' find it in any travel guide, but there is an amazing roadside attraction at Bob's Sub & Cone in Wellfleet, Cape Cod: The Crankiest Kid On Earth! His name is Dan and he works the ice cream window. I can't guarantee he'll be there if you go, but he's in a league of his own when it comes to preteen attitude. And the ice cream his mom makes him sell is really excellent too! Make sure you stop in for a scoop or two before or after heading to Marconi Station and Beach.

There are two parts to the area: the beach is picturesque, nice for relaxing and reading, not as ideal for swimming as it is ice cold (even in August), rocky and leaves brown booger-like seaweed all over you. The other part has free parking, some absolutely stunning dune pavilions for spectacular views, and an hour long trail called the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail.

This hike was a highlight of my recent New England tour. It takes you from the sandy dunes to a pine forest, then into a huge swamp with a series of wooden bridges to walk on (and enough bugs that you can hear them constantly in the air). This is a great afternoon stop off or destination if you're visiting Cape Cod.

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Posted on August 6, 2007

Places to Visit »P?re Lachaise Cemetery

pere lachaise cemetaryOne of the most famous (and certainly one of the most visited) cemeteries in the world, P?re Lachaise Cemetery is the final resting place of bon vivant Oscar Wilde; “Bigger” Thomas creator Richard Wright; fictitious pilferer Jean Valjean; pot brownie chef Alice B. Toklas; mall frame shop favorite Georges Seurat; A Trip to the Moon visionary Georges M?li?s; French literary luminaries Marcel Proust and Balzac; Edith Piaf; Napolean's mistress's heart and the empty urn that held Maria Callas's ashes before they were stolen.

But when Fred and I visited in 1998, there was only one grave we were really interested in checking out: the Lizard King's. I don't know if you've ever seen the Doors movie, but at the very end there's a shot of Morrison's grave and, even more than the spot in the park where John Lennon was shot, for a young gentleman like myself, a trip to Paris would have been truly incomplete without a sojourn to this sacred spot.

The first thing that struck me is that Oliver Stone made it look a lot cooler on film. This section of the cemetery is super congested with both the living and the dead; misguided youths from all over the world loiter around the tomb, muttering the same sullen complaints and obvious observations in a dozen different languages, but there's not really a lot of space for these kids to reflect in–it's not a monument at all, just another grave packed into an overcrowded cemetery. And that awesome bust you saw in the movie: gone. Even dead I guess Morrison's still a pain in the ass, there's tons of graffiti all over the otherwise gorgeous grounds pointing the way to his tomb and Doors “fans” continue to deface not only the dark poet's, but all the nearby plots as well. What a bunch of jerks (and by jerks I mean misunderstood kids).

It was a rainy day when we visited and both of us had outgrown our serious Doors phases long ago, we wandered the sprawling grounds for some time and checked out Oscar Wilde's grave. Then we mis-qouted some Smiths lyrics. Then I remember feeling damp and cranky. Then we had a bunch of drinks with Abdo and Smarsch at their hotel.

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Posted on July 30, 2007

Places to Visit »Royal Gorge

royal gorgeIt's the highest suspension bridge in the world and it spans two large mountains with the rushing Arkansas River cutting in between them. Aside from driving over the bridge, you can also take a train on the old rail track that ran along the river.

A theme park is also attached to the landmark, but it's rides seem to be burro driven with a carousel and some trolleys thrown in, so don't expect a mega roller coaster, Shaun.

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Posted on July 23, 2007